Typewriting machine



July 23, 1935. G. G. GOING yTYPEWRITING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 6, 1935 WITNESSES .my 23, 1935, G. @GOING TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Jam 6, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIA ATTORNEY July 23, 1935. G. G. GOING 2,009,359

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Jan. 6, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 vgl wm. @.l m mmf vw um. w om. @ma www Q Gm m imm Z mm, l m QN m m M. .Q u1u. IM em. @5.5. QM.

W mm wm ,w NN @m ATTORNEY Patented July 23, 1935 UNITED STATES TYPEWBITING MACHINE George G. Going, Glenbrook, Conn., assignor to Remington Band Inc., New York, N. Y., a

corporation of Delaware Application January s, 193s, serial No. 650,460

My invention relates to ty'pewriting and like machines and more particularly to touch regulating means for varying the touch on the linger keys of the type actions.

5 The main object of the invention, generally stated, is to provide simple and highly effective means of the character specified.

A further object of my invention is to provide a construction such as that indicated in which l' the tension adjusting device may be thrown entirely out of operation when desired.

Another object of my invention is to provide means of the character hereinbefore indicated in which the touch regulating means are readily accessible to a demonstrator of the machine for easy manipulation.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a construction of the character indicated which may be readily embodied in existing typewriting machines without modifying, or materially modifying, the existing structural features thereof.

To the above and other ends which will hereinafter appear my inventionconsists in the features of construction, arrangements of parts and combinations of devices set forth in the following description and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

' In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the different views,

Fig. 1 is a detail, fragmentary, perspective view of suflicient number of parts of a typewriting machine to illustrate my invention in its embodiment therein.

Fig. 2 is a central, vertical, fore and aft sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a. detail, fragmentary horizontal sectional view of apart of the machine; the section being takenA on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows at said line.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view corresponding in vpart to Fig. 2; the section being taken on they line 4 4 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows at said line.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the arresting bar and some of the associated parts; the section being taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrowsat said line.

Fig. 6 is a detail transverse sectional view of the same taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows at saldi line, the arresting bar being shown in effective position.

Fig. 7 is a like view of the same except that the arresting bar is shown in the ineffective position.

My invention is shown in the present instance embodied in a typewriting machine that includes type actions somewhat similar to those employed in the L. C. Smith machine. It should be understood, however, that the features of the lpresent invention may be employed in various kinds of typewriting machines, wherever found available.

Each type action in the present instance comprises a key lever I fulcrumed on a fulcrum bar 2 secured to the base 3 of the machine. Each key lever is provided with the usual nger key 4 at the forward end thereof. One end of a pull link 5 is pivoted to the associated key lever, whereas the other end of each link is pivoted to the companion sub-lever 6. The sub-levers B are all pivoted on a pivot wire 1 carried by a support 8.

The upper end of each sub-lever is pivotally connected to one end of a pull link 9, the opposite end of which is pivoted to the companion type bar III that impacts against the iront'face of a platen II.

The parts of each type action are returned to the normal position, shown in full lines in Fig. 2, by a. contractile returning spring I2. One end of each returning spring is connected to the associated key lever at I3, whereas the other end of the spring is connected at I4 to the associated sub-lever. The relative movement of the two parts I and 6 of each type action from the full to the dotted line position in Fig. 2 stretches the associated floating returning spring I2, providing a highly eective means for returning the parts to normal position and providing a very light touch on the keys. However, many operators prefer to feel a greater resistance to the actuation of the keys, this being especially true of operators who have been. accustomed to operating machines with a heavier touchJ I have, therefore, provided touch regulating means whereby the touch" may be changed by increasing the resistance from the lowest amount offered by the springs I2 operating as hereinbefore described to the heaviest touch any operator may desire. Such touch regulating means will now be described.

A touch regulating device or bar I5 extends across the machine and is so mounted and arranged that it may be moved simultaneously into and out of contact with the entire series of springs I2 and is adapted to contactively engage the latter about midway in the lengths thereof, and flex them laterally to different extents and thereby increase or decrease the effective force of the springs on all of the key levers and sub-levers.

'.Ihus, the touch regulating bar I5 is secured about midway in its length to a laterally bent end IS of a lever I1 by spot welding or by any suitable means. The lever I1 is pivoted at I8 to an arm on a bracket I9 which in turn is secured by screws 20 to the base of the machine. An upwardly and rearwardly projecting arm 2I on the lever I9 is pivoted at 22 to a threaded member or rod 23. Said rod extends freely through an opening in a bracket 24 secured by screws 24 on the top of the rearwardly projecting base portion 3* of the frame. The bracket 24 thus supports the rear end portion of the rod 23 and a hand controlled member or finger wheel 25 has a hub 26 internally threaded for cooperation with the threads on the rod 23. The finger wheel is located in the rear of the bracket 24 and the forward end of the hub 26 is received in a counter-sunk opening in the bracket 24 and resists any forward movement of the rod 23 under the force of the springs I2 exerted on the bar I5.

It will be understood that by turning the nger wheel 25 in one direction the parts may be moved to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4, where the regulating bar I5 is out of contact with all of the springs I2. greater effective force from the springs I2 on the type actions the finger wheel is turned in the opposite direction. The result of this is to bring the bar I5 to bear against all of the springs I2 and flex them laterally near the middle portion thereof, as shown in full lines in Fig. 4, thus increasing the effective force of the springs, and the extent of increased force exerted depends on the amount that the finger wheel is turned and the extent of pivotal movement of the bar I5. 'I'he finger wheel is maintained friction tight on the rod 23 and the hub 26 is held pressed against the supporting bracket 24, thus holding the parts in the positions to which they are adjusted or against accidental displacement therefrom.

It will be seen that by bringing the bar I 5 into cooperation with the springs I2 in the manner described, not only is the effective force of the springs increased due to flexing the springs laterally as pointed out, but the characteristics of' the springs are changed since the bar I5 acts in the nature of an anchorage at about the middle of each spring, the length thereof to each side of the anchorage point acting somewhat as a separate spring for the part I or 6 to which it is applied.- Therefore, the part of eachv spring between the bar I5 and the moving part' to which this part of the spring is connected is in the nature of a shorter spring acting with greater force to effect a snappy and quick return of the parts to be returned thereby. Therefore it will be understood that the nature of each spring in the last mentioned circumstances is quite different from what it is when the bar I5 is adjusted out of contact therewith.

It has been demonstrated that many, though not all, operators prefer a machine in which they can feel the arrest of the parts at each depression of a key, as, when, for example, a key lever is limited in its depressi n. Itseems that this warns the operators that he stroke has been completed and that they are free to proceed with the operation of other keys. On the other hand it is not desirable, or always feasible, to compel the operator to make a full following stroke to com- If it is desired to exert a' plete the depression of a key until the type bar strikes the platen. For such operators as prefer to feel the arrest of the parts at each actuation of a type action I have provided special means that may be employed for this purpose and which will now b described.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 1 it will be seen that an arresting bar or member 21 extends transversely of the machine beneath the key levers I. This bar is supported at its ends on coned pivot screws 28 received in tapped openings in the base 3 of the frame. The screws 28 are held firmly in their adjusted positions by lock nuts 29 and the pointed ends of the screws are received in bearing recesses in the ends of the bar 21 that are off-set from the center thereof as indicated in Figs. 6 and '1. This is in order that when the bar 21 is turned to the Fig. 6 position the upper contact 7edge 30 thereof will be in a position to arrest the depression of the key levers, whereas when the bar is turned to the FE. 7 position it will not coact with and limit the depression of the key levers.

I prefer to provide a slightly resilient finger 3l (Fig. 2) formed on each key lever and constituting a contact to coact with the arresting bar 21 to more or less noiselessly arrest the depression of the associated key lever without undue shock when the arresting bar is set to function.

It will be understood from a consideration of Fig. 2 that each arresting finger 3I will come into contact with the bar 21, if the latter be set to function, when the associated type bar has reached some such position as that indicated by the dotted line showing at a, and that the further movementhof the type bar to printing position is effected by an overthrow or momentum of the type bar and the associated parts. It is therefore unnecessary for the operator to follow through or continue the depression of the key until the type bar strikes the platen, and yet she is warned that the key depression isv completed by contact with the arresting bar 21.

In order to facilitate the movement of the arresting bar to and from effective position, I have provided such bar with a finger piece 32 (Fig. l) carried by an arm 33 that projects outside of the base 3 of the frame for ready manipulation. The arm 33 forms part of a bracket 34 that is secured by screws 35 to the bar 21.

In order to hold the arresting bar 21 in either the effective or ineffective position to which it may be shifted, I provide a spring detent 36 that is apertured to receive one of the screws 23 and is held in place against an inner side wall of the base 3 by a lock nut 29, as shown in Fig. 5. The free end of the leaf spring detent bears against the front face or bottom edge of the bar 21, depending on the adjustment of the latter to the Fig. 6 or Fig. '1 position respectively.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that I have provided simple and effective means for readily modifying the touch of a typewriting machine to meet the desires of various operators and without modifying the type actions, and that such means may be readily incorporated in existing typewriting machines without modifying or materially modifying, the existing structural features thereof.

Various changes may be made in the construction, and certain features thereof may be employed without others, without departing from my invention as it is defined in the accompanying claims. j

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a type action, a contractile returning spring therefor, the effective force of said spring being exerted at all times on said type action to return the parts thereof to normal position, an adjustable touch varying device cooperative with said spring about midway in the length thereof and movable into and out of contact with said spring, and manually controlled means that extend to and are readily accessible at the outside of the machine for thus moving said device and for flexing the spring to varying degrees to change the eiective force thereof on the type action or for moving and maintaining said device wholly out of cooperation with said spring without destroying the effective force of the spring on the type action.

2. The combination of a type action comprising two relatively movable parts, a contractile returning spring connected at its ends to said relatively movable parts, a touch varying devicey movable into and out of contact with said spring and flexing it to different degrees, and manually controlled means for thus moving said device for holding it in the different positionsA to which it may be adjusted.

3. The combination of a type action comprising a key lever and a sub-lever, .a contractile returning spring connected at one end to said sub-lever and connected at the other end to said key lever, and a touch adjusting device cooperative with said spring intermediate the ends thereof and movable into and out of contact with the spring and operative to flex it to different extents, and manually controlled means for thus moving said touch adjusting device and for holding it in the different positions to which it is adjusted.

4. The combination of a series of type actions, each comprising two relatively movable parts, a series of contractile returning springs each connected at its ends to the two relatively movable parts of the associated type action, a touch varying device movable into and out of contact with said springs and exing them simultaneously to different degrees, and means including a'hand operated member for thus moving said device and for holdingr it in the diierent positions to which it may be adjusted.

5. The combination of a series of type actions each comprising a type bar, a key lever and a sublever, a series of contractile returning springs each connected at one end to the sub-lever of the associated type action and connected at the other end to the key lever ofthe associated type action, and a touch adjusting device cooperative-simultaneously with all of said springs intermediate the ends thereof and movableinto and out of contact with said springs and operative to simultaneously flex them to different extents, and manually controlled readily accessible means for thus adjusting said touch adjusting device and for holding it in its position of adjustment.

6. The combination of a series of type actions each comprising a key lever and a sub-lever, a series of returning springs each connected at one end to the associated sub-lever and connected at the other end to the associated key lever, a movably mounted touch adjusting bar cooperative simultaneously with all of said springs about midway inthe lengths thereof and movable into and out of contact with said springs and opera- .tlve to flex them to varying extents, means connected to said bar for thus moving it and which extend to the outside of the machine where a iinger wheel is provided for manipulating the bar.

7. The combination of a series of type actions each comprising a key lever and a sub-lever, a series of returning springs each connected at one end to the associated 'sub-lever and connected at the other end to the associated key lever, a movably mounted touch adjusting bar cooperatlve simultaneously with all of said springs about midway in the lengths thereof and movable into and out of contact with said springs and operative to ex them to varying extents, a lever on which said bar is supported and by which it is adjusted, a threaded member connected to said lever, a support with which said threaded member coacts, and a finger wheel having a threaded connection with said threaded member and cooperative with said support.

` 8. The combination of a series of type actions, a series of returning springs one for each type action, an adjustable touch varying device cooperative simultaneously with all of said springs and movable into and out of contact therewith and simultaneously flexing all of said springs `to vary the eiective force thereof on the type actions, a lever on which said touch adjusting device is supported and by which it is adjusted, a threaded member connected to said lever, a support with which said threaded member coacts, and a nger wheel having a threaded connection with said threaded member and cooperative with said support.

- 9. The combination of a series of type actions, a series of contractile returning springs therefor one foreach type action, a touch varying device cooperative simultaneously with all of said springs about midway in the lengths thereof and movable into and out of contact therewith, and means that extend to and are readily accessible at the outside of the machine for thus moving said device and for causing it to simultaneously flex said springs to varying extents, the construction and arrangement of the parts being such that when said touch varying device is shifted out of contact with said springs the latter are free from the influence of said device or any part connected therewith and each functions normally to return the parts of the associated type action to normal position.

GEORGE G. GOING. 

